Chinese Archaeology: From Human Origins to Chinese Civilization

This course surveys the archaeology of China from the Paleolithic (circa one million years before present) up to and including the Shang Dynasty (circa 1050 BC), with an emphasis on great transitions in human history.

The course focuses both on specific, detailed discussions of some of the most important archaeological finds from China, as well as more general discussions of various anthropological themes as they relate to data from early Chinese contexts and emerging complex society.

The lectures are generally organized in chronological order, starting with the Paleolithic and subsequently focusing on the early and later Neolithic and the Shang period of the Bronze Age.

Students develop a thorough familiarity with Chinese archaeological sites and cultures over the course of this term and also explore the way that Chinese archaeology relates to general issues in anthropological archaeology.

Important themes covered in the course include the emergence and migration of modern hominins, the origins of agriculture, animal domestication, and sedentary villages, early urbanism, changes in burial practices and religion, ritual, writing, and production, the development of complex society, and the presentation of archaeological information in modern contexts.

The course provides students with a basic understanding of these topics in relation to early China.

Occasional discussions review the lecture material and focus on clarifying, deconstructing and debating topics in Chinese archaeology about which there is little consensus.

Students also explore Chinese materials in museum collections at Harvard University and produce a digital exhibit based on one or more objects in the collections framed in relation to a broader theme related to the course.